Belt buckle



April 20, 1926. 1,581,822

c.l F, WARDgN BELT BUCKLE Filed April 11. 1925 I N V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

PatentediApr. 20, 1926. v g

UNITED STATES y 1,581,822 PATENT oFFlcE.

CHARLES r. WARDEN, or WESTRCYLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNCR To C. A.

MARSH a Co., A CCPARTNHRSHIR CCMPRISING GEORGE L. SHEPARDsoN AND FRANKC. RoUNSnvILLE, or ATTLERoRo, MASSACHUSETTS.

:BELT BUCKLE.

vApplication led April 11, 1925. Serial No. 22,269.

To aZZ whom t may Vcomfy/"rt:

Be it known'that l, CHARLES F. WARDEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at West Boylston, in the county of Worcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BeltBuckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved means for removably mounting aninsert in a plate, and has for its object to provide an opening in theplate of a buckle ciga-v rette case, vanity case, match case, or `otherdevice and to removably mount 1n thls opening one or more mserts such asletters, orna- -ments or the like, and also to provide means for lockingthe inserts in this4 opening against accidental removal therefrom.

A further object of this invention is the forming of the opening in theplate by folding the marginal stock of the opening rearwardly andproviding means in 'the folded portion for receiving and retaining aninsert therein. l A

. With these and4 other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, -as will be more fullydescribed,.andfparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view ofV my improved buckle showing'letter insertsmounted in the opening inthe front thereof.

Figure 2 is a rear view of my improved buckle showing thestock of theopening as turned inwardly to form anges adapted to receive thedifferent inserts' to be mounted therein. y A Y Figure 3 Vis ay centraltransversesection through. the buckle illustrating the marginal edges ofthe stock of the opening as extending rearwardl and then turned toextend in'v opposite dlrectionsto form Va guide or support for theinserts.

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the inside of the lock plate witha square abutmenty shoulder formed on one end.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing one of the inserts in the form ofa letter.

Figure 6 is a section on line 6 6 of.

Figure 2, and showing a portion of the lockplate in section with onevend portion as bent squarely down to engage `the ends of the insertguidesl and vform an abutment or stop y to limit its inwardmotion, theplate serving as a lock for retaining the inserts in the opening.

Figure 7 is an enlarged view showing the letter inserts as locked in theguideways by the locking plate or frame. I

Figure 8 is a perspective fragmental view illustrating oneof the lettersas set in the notches of the guideways and the lock-plate .as enteringthe guideways to lock the letter Y therein. l

Figure 9 is a sectional side elevation showing the square shoulder ofthe lock-plate as forced against the guide flanges by the bindin actionof the belt-gripping acting throug the belt upon the extending' lip othe lock-plate.

It is found in the practical construction of belt buckles, vanity cases,`cigarette cases and other devices, of advantage to provide meanswhereby numerals, letters or other characters may be inserted into anopening in the front or other plate thereof and to provide means wherebythese inserts may be readily removed to be rearranged or replaced byothers as desired, particularly where the initials of the wearer or userare required, it is very desirous to so construct thebuckle or devicethat these initials may be removed and others inserted so that .adealerv may be required to carry but a relatively small stock ofdevices, and by carrying 'a comparatively largestock of the relativelyinexpensive letters, they may be arranged inthe buckle Jor device tosuit the:

requirements of each individual wearer or user. To` 'accomplish this ina simple and practical way, without the use of solder, applicant Y whichthe inserts are attached which is that of a buckle with an opening initsgfront, the stock of the buckle about theopening being preferablyrolled or turned inwardly forming opposite edges of flanges for thereception of the letters, and he has mounted a readily-removablelock-plate or member has herein shown lone device. to

on these flanges', whereby the different combinations of etters may beeasily arranged 1 and inserted into the opening in the buckle 1 asdesired, and the following yis a detailed description of one embodimentof my lnvention showing one means whereby these advantageous results maybe accomplished With reference tothe drawings, 10 deslgnates the body ofa buckle which is provided with the usual rearwardly extending sideflanges 11 and is also provided with an opening 12 which ma be formed inany suitable way, but I preferably form the same ,by cutting the stockabout the opening and rolling the marginal edges thereof 4rearwardly, asbest illustrated in Figure 3, and then turning these edges outwardly indirections opposite to each other forming oppositely-extending marginalflanges 13.

It is found in the practical construction of a buckle or other device ofthis character, .of great advantage from a manufacturing standpoint tobe able to form these flanges 13 integral with the marginal edges of theopening as by so doing two advantages are obtained; first, the guidesare provided on the back of the buckle without the use of solder as theheat for soldering necessarily, destroys the finish of the buckle whichrenders. such a construction quite unsatisfactory; second, the turningof -this stock is a machine operation and' therefore by employing thisstock which is cut from'the bucklethe same is saved and-"not thrown awayas scrap material.

These guides or flanges 13 may be notched along their inner edges as at14 to receive the edge portions of the different letters or inserts.These inserts when made in the form of letters 15' are preferably formedwith lugs 16 extending from opposite edges thereof to be inserted andfitted into the opposite notches 14 in the guide flanges andin order `tolock these lugs 16 in these notches, I have formed a sliding lock plateor frame 17, the edges 18 of wh1ch 'are rolled over inwardly to fit andslide over the edges 19 of the flanges 13 so that when this plate isslid over these guides, its edge flanges 18 will engage the inner faceof the lugs 16. on the letters and bind them against the inner face 20of the front plate of the buckle body.

It has also been found desirous to so' form the lock plate frame ormember that when it is slid into position on'the guide flanges it willnot be inadvertently removed therefrom. Therefore, in order to lock thisplate or member to these guides, I have provided a square shoulder 23 inone end offfthe lip 21 on either end of this lock-plate, which serves adouble purpose; rst, upon extending down over the ends 22 of the uide..

readily applied to and removed from the buckle and securely lockedtherein and that' only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device having a front plate with an opening therein, integralrearwardly-extending flangesl on the edges of said opening with s acednotches therein, letters having lugs al? top and bottom in said notchesand in engagement with the rear surface of said front plate, a slideback plate for engaging said letters to hold them against front plate,and rolled over portions on one of said plates for slidable engagementwith portions integral with the other of said plates whereby said backplate-may be slid into locking position.

2. In a device having a front plate with an opening therein, integralrearwardlyfolded portions on the opposite edges of said Aopeningextending back over.` said plate and spaced ,therefrom and having spacednotches therein, character designating members having lugs to set insaid notches and engagethe back of said plate, and a member.

having portions to wedge between the lugs, and the said folded backportion to force `said lugs against said plate to hold said member inposition.

3. A device having a plate with4 an opening therein,rearwardly-extending oppositely turned notched marginal flanges aboutsaid opening, a removable insert having parts extending into the notchesin said flanges, a lockin member slidable over the oppositely turneportions of said flanges to engage and retain said insert in setposition therein, and means for retaining said locking member inoperating position on said flanges.

4. A device having a plate with an opening therein, rearwardly-foldedintegral edge portions oppositely turned and spaced from said plate andprovided with spaced notches in said flanges, a removable characterdesignating *insertl having extensions projecting into said notches, anda locking member having grooved edges to embrace said flanges and engageandretain said inserts in position.

5. A device having a plate with an opening therein, marginal flangesabout said opening extending back over said plate and having notchestherein, a removable character designating insert having parts extendinginto said notches, and a locking member having rolled-in edges to.slidably engage said flanges and portions of said insert to hold theInsert in position and an abutment at one end of said member to limitits sliding movement.

6. A buckle having a body portion, a

clamping grip er pivotally mounted in said' bodyfsaid bo y having anopening therein,

oppositely-turned notched marginal'llanges about said opening, aremovable insert having parts extending into said notches, a 10 lockingmember slidable over said flanges to retain said insert in set positiontherein,

said member having a lip against which the gripper binds the belt in thebuckle and having an abutment for limiting its enter- 15

